Teacher runs amok, attacks workmates and students

A MALE teacher - suspected to be high on drugs - has paralysed the learning process at Sherukuru High School in Mutasa District by violently chasing away fellow workmates and students with dangerous weapons and vandalising property.

The disturbances started last Friday when the attacker, Caleb Karumbidza, became violent and exuded prolonged temper tantrums.

He allegedly moved around the school wielding a machete and a screwdriver. He would chase anyone on sight with the intention to hurt that person.

Karumbidza, whose colleagues said has been experiencing mental bouts for the past five years, allegedly vandalised school property, mostly windowpanes, and his violent conduct has forced other teachers to temporarily seek refuge in the surrounding community  fearing that he might come back to hurt them.

The School Development Committee has expressed "serious security concerns" and has approached the Mutasa District Education Office questioning whether Karumbidza, who is a Physical Education (PE) and English teacher, should be left to discharge his duties.

The SDC proposed that his employer should fire or transfer him to a "more secure school".

The parents have threatened to withdraw their children until the situation stabilised.

When The Manica Post visited the troubled school on Monday, a senior teacher who spoke on condition of anonymity said parents had expressed serious misgivings "over the safety of their children" with an armed suspected mental patient in their midst.

Karumbidza, who is said to have ceased taking prescribed medication to stabilise his condition, is reportedly hiding in a mountain adjacent to the school.

"He started acting bizarrely last Friday, destroying about 71 windowpanes at the school. He targeted four staff houses and the school's admin block," said the senior official at the school, adding that it was impossible for them to convince him to surrender.

However, not everyone was of the opinion that Karumbidza haddeveloped mental illness as others argued the teacher was high on drugs.

"Kana idzo mbanjedzo ndidzo dzingabva dzadaro (I doubt if mbanje would result in all this)," quipped one teacher.

Teachers said though they knew that the suspect had stopped taking medication they were uncomfortable getting closer to him as they lacked the expertise to spot behaviours signalling troubling thought patterns.

Such signals included persistent sadness, irritability, withdrawal and major change in eating habits.

"This place is inhabitable, the guy is violent and his actions have compromised the learning process as both the safety of children and teachers is at stake.

"This is not the first time he has behaved this way as he once attacked a fellow teacher and injured him. Can you imagine having a colleague moving around with a machete and screwdriver with the intention to harm you? Can you feel secure enough to discharge your duties efficiently? As a result, all teachers here have sought refuge in the village fearing that he will pounce on them at night. He lives alone and nobody here can convince him to surrender," said another teacher at the school.

Four armed police officers were on Monday deployed at the school to track down the suspect.

"The environment is not conducive for the children to attend lessons. Fear has been instilled in both teachers and students. Parents were here to assess the damage and situation and resolved to withdraw their children until their safety could be guaranteed (through his arrest)," added another teacher.

Commenting after visiting the school, Mutasa DEO Mr Zacharia Chikwangwani said the situation obtaining at the school was disturbing.

He said they requested for additional manpower after the situation had gone out of hand.

"It started last Friday when the head advised us that one of the teachers had developed some mental illness and was wielding an axe chasing teachers. The trend continued over the weekend and we asked for additional manpower from police so that he can be arrested.

"We are very worried about the safety of the children and teachers. Everyone is now afraid and nobody wants to be close to him. The SDC has petitioned my office expressing concerns about the safety of their children," said Mr Chikwangwani.